What do you have to lose, Trump asks black voters
DONALD Trump sought to reboot his flagging presidential bid this week, dismissing his tainted campaign chairman and seeking to broaden his shrinking support base by appealing to black voters and visiting the flood-ravaged southern state of Louisiana.
The resignation of the seasoned Republican strategist Paul Manafort — under fire for his pro-Kremlin ties and role in a Ukrainian corruption scandal — represents the Republican nominee’s latest effort to get back on track after weeks of crisis.
Earlier in the week Trump appointed Steve Bannon, a right-wing news executive, as CEO and promoted pollster Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager, in what has signalled a marked new tone following colossal missteps.
Trump shocked many on Thursday by expressing “regret” for past mistakes, and began airing his first TV ads on Friday in a desperate attempt to chip into Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s yawning lead.
Clinton now leads 47.2% to Trump’s 41.2%, according to an average of national polls from Real Clear Politics, and is ahead in virtually every swing state.
The New York billionaire toured a flood-ravaged region of Louisiana, where officials say more than 86 000 people so far have registered for federal aid and 13 people have died.
Clinton took to Facebook to explain her own absence by saying that while her “heart breaks” for Louisiana, “right now the relief effort can’t afford any distractions”.
Some in the state complained that President Barack Obama, who is on holiday, had not visited. He is due this week.
Trump flew into Michigan later on Friday to address a rally, explaining his appearance in an open-necked shirt by saying he had come straight from “a tour of the suffering and devastation in Louisiana”.
He added: “Honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there.”
He then launched into a sustained pitch for African-American voters, who have over-
What do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump?
whelmingly flocked to Clinton.
“Look how much AfricanAmerican communities have suffered under Democratic control,” he said. “To those I say the following: what do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump?”
Trump claimed “no group in America” has been more harmed than black people by Clinton’s policies.
“Your schools are no good‚ you’re living in poverty... What the hell do you have to lose?”
He told the overwhelmingly white crowd that he was asking for the vote of “every single African-American citizen”.
The Clinton campaign shot back that Trump’s comments had only shown he is “out of touch with the African-American community”.
Clinton campaign official Marlon Marshall said AfricanAmericans had everything to lose from Trump, “who questions the citizenship of the first African-American president, courts white supremacists, and has been sued for housing discrimination against communities of colour”. — AFP